Dream scenario for rr posters.

[psrs1]

If you are KD and you decide to move on from OKC rather than resign for one to two years feeling that OKC is not ready to compete for a championship where would you go? If your goal is to win a championship GSW and CLE are #1 and #2 BUT If you decide to look past those two Raptors could potentially be high on the list. The most logical option is to keep contract in tune with RW but if defence is so porous that you pretty well know that this year and next year you pretty much know you will not win a championship you might start to look elsewhere. If money is not your primary motivation then I think KD could bolt from OKC.

[hotfuzz]

I don't think OKC would have leverage if Durant said he wanted to come to Toronto. You lose him for nothing or get something back for him. It would be like when Bosh went to Heat and left Toronto with barely anything.

I think JV would be the trade piece that would have problems have both teams hesitating. OKC wanted JV for Harden a few years back, but then they have Kanter now.

Would you guys do JV + Ross + Prospects/Picks/Filler for salary balance? Or would that gut our team too much

If you can get KD for JV/Ross/picks you do that 10 times out of 10.

[3inthekeon]

We're back on this? KD ain't coming here folks

Read the OP title, KC.

It's like those cheesy TV shows where it was all a dream.

[Barolt]

You need to keep in mind that they don't want to walk away empty handed. They have no leverage and the deal that Ujiri landed for Melo was a rare wonder.

Carroll's contract is cheap in the new NBA that's about to be born and he's also a great trade asset. They don't need to keep him.

My point is that DD & JV should be off limits. They can have all the future picks they can handle, but not the core. Without those guys the Raptors aren't much further ahead and a mere injury away from being mediocre.

Right, but all of this assumes that Durant's list of teams to go to only consists of one team - us. I have a hard time seeing him being unwilling to accept any other teams.

[KeonClark]

We're back on this? KD ain't coming here folks

[Apollo]

Keep in mind OKC has to agree to it too. If they are rebuilding (which they probably are as they probably lose Westbrook and Ibaka the following year if Durant walks, in which case they probably deal them ASAP), they won't want Carroll eating their cap - he's a veteran on a long term deal. Ross is young with upside - the deal would almost certainly be built around him plus expirings and picks.

You need to keep in mind that they don't want to walk away empty handed. They have no leverage and the deal that Ujiri landed for Melo was a rare wonder.

Carroll's contract is cheap in the new NBA that's about to be born and he's also a great trade asset. They don't need to keep him.

My point is that DD & JV should be off limits. They can have all the future picks they can handle, but not the core. Without those guys the Raptors aren't much further ahead and a mere injury away from being mediocre.

[DanH]

I just realized that because the cap projection increased, it's actually going to be really difficult to pull off a sign and trade for Durant if they won't take Carroll. We'd have to send Ross, 2Pat, Bruno, Bebe and Wright to meet the 125% trade rule. Or Ross, 2Pat and CoJo could work as well.

I think JJ ends up being sign and traded as salary ballast - a 3 year deal at 5M per year with his early Bird Rights, with the second and third years non-guaranteed. Becomes an expiring/trade asset for them and eases the salary matching. He might be looking at no contract offers this summer so a large guarantee up front might be something he'd agree to.

[JWash]

I just realized that because the cap projection increased, it's actually going to be really difficult to pull off a sign and trade for Durant if they won't take Carroll. We'd have to send Ross, 2Pat, Bruno, Bebe and Wright to meet the 125% trade rule. Or Ross, 2Pat and CoJo could work as well.

[A.I]

I wonder if DD will be okay playing as the sixth man in this scenario, like Ginobili. I just see Lowry, Carroll and KD being a better fit than Lowry, DD and KD. Like I said, the usage rate for all 3 are high, Carroll is a low usage, defensive 3 point shooter. Our perimeter D really wouldn't be that great with DD and KD. Carroll can play multiple positions so you can switch him around during a game and DD will still play 30 mins.

Starting lineup: Lowry/Carroll/KD/Patterson/JV
Bench: CoJo/Powell/DD/???/Bebe

[tDotted]

I think OKC would want our pick (whoever we select) in this potential deal.

[planetmars]

Even if the Thunder lose early in the playoffs him resigning with OKC with a 1+1 type of contract makes a lot of sense. He'll be able to to get one more kick in the can with the team that drafted him, still making a 'max' contract in that one year. And then in 2017 he'll be a free agent with RW and Ibaka at the same time.

Obviously I'd love to have Durant here.. it's the ultimate fantasy. Looking at past trades, it seems like Presti loves ex Lottery players (it's too bad we waived AB). Yet Toronto would have the leverage if Durant wanted to come here. However, to make it enticing for him we can't dismantle this team.

Ross would have to be on his way out.. he fills those check boxes (ex lottery player, is a wing player, can start or come off the bench, etc). JV fills some of those check boxes too, but Masai won't include him, and OKC already has Kanter. Carroll makes some sense if OKC wants to try with RW/Ibaka but he's older and may not be the right type of talent they'd want.. especially since he has 3 more years on his contract (and wasn't healthy this year). DD would require his say so I don't see that happening. 2Pat makes some sense for both teams (he'll be the 7th/8th guy in the rotation for Toronto, yet is young and on an expiring contract for OKC and a great team player).

So a deal that I would try to swing for a S&T would be Ross, 2Pat, Wright and Toronto's 2017 first for KD. You always see some kind of pick being included in S&T for stars. I haven't done the math but I think that would work. Ultimately this would be my S&T package for Horford as well.

If it happens.. we'll have a rockin' starting unit. Our bench would suck though. Biyombo would be gone in free agency. Ross/2Pat traded. We'd only have CoJo left and would have to use our D-League team to assemble another bench. Bebe, Bruno, Powell and the kids we draft from the 2016 draft. We'd have the mid-level to try and acquire someone (I'd try to get Jared Dudley). We may get one ring chaser in the off season but even then its doubtful since GSW, SAS or Cleveland would still get the leg up on ring chasers.

If Durant leaves OKC though he'll have a lot of teams pursuing him. Miami, Houston, Cleveland, Boston, Washington, LAL, LAC, Atlanta, Dallas are all teams that could all convince him to join them and some of these teams could come up with really good S&T packages.

[DanH]

Keep in mind OKC has to agree to it too. If they are rebuilding (which they probably are as they probably lose Westbrook and Ibaka the following year if Durant walks, in which case they probably deal them ASAP), they won't want Carroll eating their cap - he's a veteran on a long term deal. Ross is young with upside - the deal would almost certainly be built around him plus expirings and picks.

[Apollo]

DD or JV is too steep on a S&T. Picks and secondary players like Carroll, Patterson and Joseph for example. The Thunder would have little leverage if KD picks the Raps. They should be grateful for picks and good supporting players.

[Simplicity]

Just wondering what you guys would think if our line up looked like:

KLOE/DD/Durant/Carrol/Biz

Bizz would play interior defender/rim protector, Carroll and KD can switch defensive matchups to give KD more energy and you'd have enough guy to create even if it's 4v5. Would this be a viable option for us? You'd have PP, CJ and upcoming rooks coming off our bench. What you guys think?

[JWash]

but durant would not be coming to toronto without derozan and lowry. so its a moot point

This.

It's just the reality. If Durant comes here a big part of it is going to be playing with DeRozan, so shipping DeRozan out or letting him walk is not a realistic or feasible option in that scenario. Durant is not going to sign here to play with Lowry and a bunch of role players (not saying that's what the other guys actually are, but that's how they'll be viewed).

You pitch him the 2nd best backcourt in the league one that can really push and make Curry/Klay work. A legitimate center that gives the team a two-way post threat, something OKC has never really had. Let him know that it'd be his team, he'd be the face but he'd have the #2, #3 and #4 to get him to the promised land. Plus picks and prospects to keep the talent supply and depth on the bench constantly flowing in.

Then maybe you offer him Vince's #15 lol and a record deal with Drake.